California’s attorney general has asked a state court to halt what it describes as unlawful retail price controls in an ongoing Amazon antitrust case.
The motion seeks a preliminary injunction to stop alleged price fixing practices while the wider lawsuit proceeds, placing fresh focus on online marketplace pricing and competition law in the United States.
The request forms part of a broader legal action first filed in 2022. State officials argue that Amazon’s conduct has limited price competition and contributed to higher consumer prices across multiple product categories.
Alleged price fixing practices
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has presented new evidence in support of the state’s motion. Court filings allege that Amazon instructed some vendors to raise prices on competing platforms and warned of commercial consequences if sellers did not comply.
According to the complaint, the company monitored pricing across rival retail websites and intervened when it identified lower prices elsewhere. The state argues that this amounted to price coordination, which may breach California’s Unfair Competition Law and Cartwright Act.
The motion asks the court to prohibit Amazon from communicating pricing expectations beyond its own platform and from penalising sellers that offer lower prices on other sites.
Impact on competition and consumer prices
The lawsuit claims that the alleged conduct weakened competition between online retailers. By discouraging lower prices on rival marketplaces, the state argues, Amazon reduced incentives for competitors to undercut prices.
Court documents state that some sellers either increased prices on competing platforms or removed products temporarily to avoid sanctions. The attorney general’s office contends that these practices contributed to higher consumer prices in California and potentially nationwide.
Amazon has previously maintained that its marketplace policies are lawful and designed to ensure competitive pricing. The company has said that it does not fix prices and that sellers remain free to set their own retail prices.
Legal timetable and wider scrutiny
The motion for a preliminary injunction has been filed with the San Francisco Superior Court. A full trial in the antitrust case is scheduled for January 2027.
The dispute sits within a broader wave of regulatory scrutiny facing large digital platforms in the US and internationally. Online retail competition between companies such as Walmart, Target and eBay has intensified in recent years, placing marketplace pricing practices under closer examination by regulators.
The outcome of the case may clarify how US antitrust law applies to pricing controls in digital marketplaces. For retailers, brands and marketplace operators, the proceedings are likely to shape compliance strategies and competitive pricing models across the e-commerce sector.
